UWF ranks in top five nationally for Military Friendly® Schools

The University of West Florida has been recognized with a 2022-2023 Top Ten Military Friendly® School designation in the large public category. In the annual rankings released on March 7, 2022, UWF ranked No. 4, jumping to the highest spot on the list in school history. UWF was the only Florida State University System institution to earn recognition from Military Friendly® in the large public Top Ten category.

“We owe a debt of gratitude to our service members and we are honored they chose the University of West Florida to pursue their higher education goals,” said UWF President Martha D. Saunders. “This accolade is a reflection of the warm reception and individual attention our veterans receive at UWF.”

The UWF Military & Veterans Resource Center serves as the leading campus advocate for military, dependents and veteran students, working to ensure the needs of these individuals are met through coordination with multiple university offices and services. The MVRC immediately engages with students when they fill out and indicate a military affiliation on a UWF application. Military-affiliated students receive assistance using VA education benefits and scholarships, learn about programming, tutoring and counseling opportunities, as well as accommodations that are made for those with disabilities. Student services include VetSuccess on campus; UWF Veterans Mentoring program; the Social Work Interns Mentoring, or SWIM, team; MVRC computer lab; laptop loan program; and VA vocational and rehabilitation & counseling services. The Student Veterans of America network allows veterans to connect with each other.

“I believe the advancement in our Military Friendly® ranking is due to the great collaboration within the University and from the support of our leadership,” said Lori Milkeris, an Air Force veteran who serves as director of UWF’s Military & Veterans Resource Center. “The MVRC worked with University staff in IT, admissions, institutional communications and each college to ensure the military-affiliated students were getting the best assistance and the most up-to-date information.”

This ranking is another in a long list of accolades that distinguish UWF as an institution committed to sustained success for veterans, active duty members of the armed forces, future Army and Air Force officers and other military affiliated students. Accolades include Military Friendly® University designation for over 10 years, Top 25 for Best Colleges for Veterans by U.S. News and World Report, Military Friendly Spouse School and Purple Heart University by the local chapter of Military Order of Purple Heart.

Military Friendly® scored more than 1,800 schools that completed its survey by using an outside advisory council that provides perspective on criteria, methodology and weighting. A third-party auditor then verified the results.

Award levels are defined as:

• Top 10 Gold – A ranked list of the Top 10 in a category based on a numerical score.
• Gold – within 10% of the last ranked organization in Top 10 Gold.
• Silver – within 20% of the last ranked organization in Gold.
• Bronze – within 30% of the last ranked organization in Silver.
• Designated – These organizations are deemed Military Friendly® based on survey results.

Military Friendly Schools awards colleges and universities that demonstrate positive education outcomes for veterans and their families. Around 665 schools received Military Friendly® distinction for 2022-2023.

To see a complete list of this year’s award winners, or to learn more about Military Friendly ratings and how to participate, visit militaryfriendly.com.

For more information about the Military and Veterans Resource Center, visit uwf.edu/mvrc.